“We know it’s a difficult and painful process,” Education Secretary Julia Keleher said. “Our children deserve the best education that we are capable of giving them taking into account Puerto Rico’s fiscal reality.”

The plan is supposed to help the department save $150 million. The island currently has 1,100 public schools, many of which were only using about 60 percent of their resources. Once the schools shut down, the island will have 828 operational schools, Keleher added.

Some teachers and teacher unions are planning protests about the move, saying that school closures would potentially disrupt the students’ and teachers’ lives by having them transfer to different schools.

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